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(Ivanhoe Newswire) For patients with pancreatic or gastric cancer, lymph node metastases indicate the spread of cancer. They can also predict a patient's prognosis after cancer tissue is removed. However, it appears not all of these cancer patients receive the same thorough lymph node examination.
Researchers say gastric or pancreatic cancer patients treated at hospitals with high rates of cancer surgeries or those designated as comprehensive cancer centers have more lymph nodes examined for the spread of their disease. Lack of thorough lymph node examination could lead to incorrect classification of a patient's cancer, altering prognosis, treatment decisions and eligibility for clinical trials, the researchers say.
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"Nodal status is a powerful predictor of outcome, and every reasonable attempt should be made to assess the optimal number of lymph nodes to accurately stage disease in patients with gastric and pancreatic cancer," the authors write. "Moreover, differences in nodal evaluation may contribute to improved long-term outcomes at [comprehensive cancer] centers and high-volume hospitals for patients with gastric and pancreatic cancer."
SOURCE: Archives of Surgery, 2008;143:671-678
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